What are your favourite Indian Restaurants?

[take8easy]

Let me chime in. Being of South Asian descent myself, here are my favorites of all time.

On Scott Rd and about 82nd, Delta side- Tasty Indian Bistro: The best food, service and ambiance. We have held so many family get togethers there.
On Scott Rd and 64. There is Green Lettuce. It is Indo-Chinese food. Although I have not tried their fusion food. A Chinese looking guy speaking Hindi is worth the price for me. They are very good.
Vij's- Went there twice. It clearly is targetting non-Indian clientele. Food is not bad at the best. The service is good too. My problem is the owner, Vij. He comes out and visits tables himself. He wants feedback, but I got the sense he only wants positive feedback.
Prabu Sweets on 128th and 70th. (ddcanz, for you.) They are take out only. They are THE best for sweets and many other dishes. They are also the cleanest, tastiest but the busiest of them all.

Most popular take out or eat in Indian snacks are Samosas. But you should also try Pakoras (Veg and Fish kind). Basically all sorts of veggies covered in batter and deep fried. They are sold by pounds, usually.

Remember most of the Indian restaurants here are North Indian. Places that sell Dosa, Idli, Sambar or places like Madras serve predominantly South Indian food, which is quite different.

Butter Chicken is probably the most popular non-veg North Indian dish among non-Indians (and Indians as well). If you ever get a chance, try Tandoori (over - roasted)** chicken too. It is not really eaten as a dish but it is great with drinks or just as snack.
(*it should read oven-roasted, not over roasted as I originally typed by mistake)

ddcanz is wondering why there is so much grease in Indian food. Well, it just is. I don't know why though. May be because it tastes good. lol Speaking of grease and oil, if you are go to Tasty Indian Bistro during lunch, they have these set platters. If you don't mind greasy breads, then try their Poori-Chana combo or Bhatura-Chana combo. Basically Indian bread with chick peas.

For dessert, the best Indian desserts are Ras Mallai, it is dairy based (but so are half of North Indian dishes lol) Also some places have this ice cream like dessert (with Indian flavors) it is called Kulfi (some add these noodle like strings to it.) If I could, I would start my all meals with desserts.

I can go on and on, but I am getting hungry. If you want more info, feel free to pm me.

Bon Apptit.

PS: If you ever want to try Indian flavored pizza, there is a place in Cloverdale called Jumbo Pizza. Their Butter Chicken or Tandoori Chicken pizza is The Best I have ever had. They can make it mild or spicy for you.

 

[badbadboy]

Let me chime in. Being of South Asian descent myself, here are my favorites of all time.

On Scott Rd and about 82nd, Delta side- Tasty Indian Bistro: The best food, service and ambiance. We have held so many family get togethers there.
On Scott Rd and 64. There is Green Lettuce. It is Indo-Chinese food. Although I have not tried their fusion food. A Chinese looking guy speaking Hindi is worth the price for me. They are very good.
Vij's- Went there twice. It clearly is targetting non-Indian clientele. Food is not bad at the best. The service is good too. My problem is the owner, Vij. He comes out and visits tables himself. He wants feedback, but I got the sense he only wants positive feedback.
Prabu Sweets on 128th and 70th. (ddcanz, for you.) They are take out only. They are THE best for sweets and many other dishes. They are also the cleanest, tastiest but the busiest of them all.

Most popular take out or eat in Indian snacks are Samosas. But you should also try Pakoras (Veg and Fish kind). Basically all sorts of veggies covered in batter and deep fried. They are sold by pounds, usually.

Remember most of the Indian restaurants here are North Indian. Places that sell Dosa, Idli, Sambar or places like Madras serve predominantly South Indian food, which is quite different.

Butter Chicken is probably the most popular non-veg North Indian dish among non-Indians (and Indians as well). If you ever get a chance, try Tandoori (over- roasted) chicken too. It is not really eaten as a dish but it is great with drinks or just as snack.

ddcanz is wondering why there is so much grease in Indian food. Well, it just is. I don't know why though. May be because it tastes good. lol Speaking of grease and oil, if you are go to Tasty Indian Bistro during lunch, they have these set platters. If you don't mind greasy breads, then try their Poori-Chana combo or Bhatura-Chana combo. Basically Indian bread with chick peas.

For dessert, the best Indian desserts are Ras Mallai, it is dairy based (but so are half of North Indian dishes lol) Also some places have this ice cream like dessert (with Indian flavors) it is called Kulfi (some add these noodle like strings to it.) If I could, I would start my all meals with desserts.

I can go on and on, but I am getting hungry. If you want more info, feel free to pm me.

Bon Apptit.

PS: If you ever want to try Indian flavored pizza, there is a place in Cloverdale called Jumbo Pizza. Their Butter Chicken or Tandoori Chicken pizza is The Best I have ever had. They can make it mild or spicy for you.

Interesting that some Indian friends have said the same about Vij's being mediocre at best. I quite enjoyed it but obviously my knowledge of what really good Indian food is limited.

The last time I was in the UK, I went with friends to a Madras style restaurant in Brighton. Probably the most flavourful yet intensely hottest food I've ever eaten. Still I have to say I'd love to find a good Madras style restaurant to check out locally. That was one of the things I liked about the UK, plenty of Indian takeout restaurants that had food from the area where their families originated a few generations ago.

Isn't the greasiness in the food mainly from the use of clarified butter known as Ghee? Seems anytime I've watched Indian cooking shows they used generous amounts of ghee. When I cook, I typically use oils that are relatively healthy and tend not to use heavier fats like clarified butter or worse lard.

 

[Cock Throppled]

When Vij started out, and had his little hole-in-the-wall, six table place on west Broadway, it was a revelation, and his mom's cardamom rice pudding was to die for. Once he started getting famous, he became kind of insufferable personally, and the food, while great, slipped some.

At this point, he is over-extended and trying to be another Mr Wonderful, and the food at his newest places is just good, but adventurous. At least he's kept the quaity high. And it's true, he wants positive feedback only.

 

[Har-Don]

On Scott Rd and 64. There is Green Lettuce. It is Indo-Chinese food. Although I have not tried their fusion food. A Chinese looking guy speaking Hindi is worth the price for me. They are very good.

I've been there many times and it's been a great experience every time. A very similar restaurant in Langley on Fraser Hwy is Chili House. It's similar Indo-Chinese food and I thought I heard that the owners might be related although I don't know for sure. These two restaurants weren't top of mind when I started reading this thread, I almost consider them more Chinese-Indo than Indo-Chinese if you know what I mean but now that you mention them I think others would like them.

I quite like Ashoka in downtown Langley on the one way part of Fraser Hwy.

I've also had some decent meals at GM restaurant in Maple Ridge although my last meal I was feeling a little off hours after my meal. In fairness I don't know if it was a reaction to the restaurant but I've been a little hesitant to go back.

In regards to Vij's, the real chef of the family isn't Vikram it's his now ex-wife Meeru Dhalwala. There's a lot of interesting stories on the internet but my favorite is this one...

http://canadas100best.com/lamb-popsicles-with-fenugreek-cream-curry/

“I want to serve lamb like this at Vij’s.” Vikram said to me. “I want our customers to eat them like popsicles.” I told that lamb curry had to be braised. “You can’t make a lamb popsicle curry,” I protested. But back home the experiments began all the same. Vikram drew on his European training and prepared a French marinade for the lamb. I made a nice curry with cinnamon and cloves and cumin and poured it over his grilled chops. “I can’t serve this – it’s too brown,” he said. “It’s curry – of course it’s brown,” I said. “We’re brown, our food is brown. White people understand that curry is brown!” The argument continued for days. I made four new different curries and Vikram rejected each of them. “He’s an oaf and really has a very simple palate, “ I huffed to one of my cooks. “Just watch – I’m going to just put some garlic in whipping cream and he’ll come back telling me what a great curry I made for his mustardy rack of lamb.” So I did. “Killah! This is killah!” he exclaimed. “People are going to love this!” I said there was no way I would serve it. It wasn’t even Indian. “I’m telling you – white Canadians love whipping cream and garlic. Make it more sophisticated if you want – but keep the cream and garlic.” So I went back to the kitchen and calmly added turmeric and roasted green fenugreek leaves to the curry, turning it dazzling yellow, and giving it earthy Indian flavours that married well with the white wine and mustard. That was fifteen years ago. It’s still on the menu.

– Meeru Dhalwala

 

[pinky2]

New India Buffet and Restaurant
901 West Broadway
(604) 874-5800

Lunch Buffet (11:30AM-4:00PM), Mon-Fri $15.95 , Sat-Sun & Holidays $16.95
Dinner Buffet (4:00-10:00PM), 7 Days a Week $19.95

In the lobby, at the back of the high rise medical building on the corner of Broadway and Laurel, in the medical district.

A bit of a sleeper, because of its location. I find most Indian buffets to be similar, or comparable, and this one compares well. Uncrowded, view of the mountains, priced right for the neighbourhood. An urn of Chai tea is an uncommon plus.

Each dish tastes different which is welcome in a cuisine in which dishes may so closely parallel one another. Never overcooked and frequently replenished, I haven’t found better, so it is my ‘go-to’ Indian restaurant, even after a visit to the dentist.

Across the street and a few blocks east is the Peaceful Restaurant, that well know Chinese ‘chain’ (they have three or four locations) which i find very good, mainly because of the ingredients which are always surprisingly flavourful. The overseer chef clearly has a say in all their kitchens as my favourite, dumpling soup, is always cooked to the right temeprature producing deliciously soft, yet firm noodles and dumplings, a sprinkling of nori, and a dark, fragrant broth, which can vary in taste from day to day but is always excellent and satisfying.

I checked out the mentioned Samosa place on Fraser Street near 41st. Excellent, and as the poster wrote, 75 cents each. And, next door is a Pakistani restaurant, clean, inviting decor, small and pleasant. Entrees around $10-$15. Samosas from one, takeout from here and today’s and tomorrow’s dinner is done.

 

[hedgeman]

Mahek in Surrey on Scott Rd, delish! and cheap!